Function Of The Temporal Lobe
The hippocampus plays a role in memory processing however, the exact memory circuit in the human brain is poorly understood. The hippocampus on the language-dominant side has a much more important role in memory than the non-dominant side. This hippocampus functions in verbal or language memory and short-term memory. Clinicians use several tests pre-operatively to determine the risk of impairing memory if the dominant hippocampus needs to be removed.
The dominant temporal lobe often has a region specialized in language skills. This area of the brain is known classically as Wernicke’s area and involves language comprehension. Its exact location is variable and, if surgery is mandated in the posterior lateral temporal lobe, this language site needs to be identified and protected.
Other functions in the temporal lobe include a portion of the visual fiber pathway known as Meyer’s loop. These fibers project from the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus to the visual cortex. They follow a variable course within the deep white matter of the temporal lobe and are sometimes injured unavoidably during temporal lobe surgery. This leads to a defect in peripheral vision with a black spot in the opposite upper peripheral field of vision .
For implantation of the vagal nerve stimulator , the nerve is identified in the neck between the carotid artery and jugular vein. Here the nerve is a good size and the electrode is spiraled around it easily.
How Does The Frontal Lobe Interact With Other Areas Of The Body
Though the frontal lobe is often deemed the seat of consciousness, it cannot think or feel alone. No single brain region can fully control any other region or function without heavy input from the body, other parts of the brain, and the outside world. The frontal lobe is no exception, and works alongside all other brain lobes to coordinate consciousness.
The frontal lobe, like all brain regions, connects with the limbic lobe, which houses brain structures associated with the limbic system. The limbic system controls automatic and primitive reactions, but these reactions are heavily dependent upon emotion and experience. Because the frontal lobe is home to much consciousness, its input into the limbic lobe is vital. For instance, an emotional reaction to a traumatic experience can affect limbic functioning forever, and the memories housed in the frontal lobe may strengthen limbic system reactions over time.
Because the frontal lobe is home to many higher functions, it is especially dependent upon experiences and memories. That means that social interactions, education, and similar experiences heavily affect the functioning of this important brain region. Sensory input also plays a key role, since the frontal lobe relies on memory, previous experience, and information about the surrounding world to judge the potential effects of future actions.
Ventricles And Cerebrospinal Fluid
Deep in the brain are four open areas with passageways between them. They also open into the central spinal canal and the area beneath arachnoid layer of the meninges.
The ventricles manufacture cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, a watery fluid that circulates in and around the ventricles and the spinal cord, and between the meninges. CSF surrounds and cushions the spinal cord and brain, washes out waste and impurities, and delivers nutrients.
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The 4 Lobes Of The Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
The frontal lobe also contains the primary motor cortex, the major region responsible for voluntary movement. Those parts include: the cerebrum, cerebellum, limbic system, and brain stem. However, severe damage to the occipital lobe can result in a variety of visual problems including the loss of color recognition, visual hallucinations or illusions, problems recognizing objects, and difficulty understanding language. Collectively, your cerebral cortex is responsible for the higher-level processes of the human brain, including language, memory, reasoning, thought, learning, decision-making, emotion, intelligence and personality. Occipital lobe association areas help to facilitate memories associated with visuals to be retained as well as enabling us to think in a visual manner.
Four Lobes Of The Cerebral Cortex Human Nervous System 2022

The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain and is responsible for higher brain functions such as perception, thought, and voluntary movement. It is divided into four lobes: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the occipital lobe. Each lobe is responsible for specific functions and plays a crucial role in the overall functioning of the brain.
The frontal lobe is located at the front of the brain and is responsible for many important functions. It controls voluntary movement, problem-solving, judgment, and decision-making. It also plays a role in personality and emotion. Damage to the frontal lobe can result in impairments in these functions.
The parietal lobe is located near the top and back of the brain and is responsible for processing sensory information. It receives and processes information from the senses, including touch, temperature, and pain. It also plays a role in spatial awareness and the ability to orient oneself in space. Damage to the parietal lobe can result in impairments in these functions.
The temporal lobe is located on the sides of the brain and is responsible for processing auditory information. It is also involved in memory, language, and emotion. Damage to the temporal lobe can result in impairments in these functions.
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Where Is The Frontal Lobe And What Does It Do
The brain has two hemispheres, or halves: left and the right. The hemispheres are divided into three sections: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain.
Each section has specific functions:
- The hindbrain controls involuntary functions like respiration and heart rate.
- The midbrain is associated with coordination, alertness, vision, and hearing.
- The forebrain controls a range of social, emotional, and cognitive functions, as well as motor function and memory.
The forebrain includes a major part of the brain called the cerebrum. The outer layer of the cerebrum is called the cerebral cortex.
The frontal lobe is one of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex. The other lobes are the temporal lobe, the parietal lobe, and the occipital lobe.
Each of the four lobes has specific functions. Damage to any one of them will cause problems with these functions. The sections below describe the main functions of the frontal lobe.
Interesting Facts About Your Frontal Lobe
Check out some interesting facts about your frontal lobe:
- The frontal lobes are the largest of the lobes in your brain. Theyre located at the front of your brain. Its estimated they make up about one-third of your cerebrum.
- The frontal lobe of primates, particularly humans, is much larger than those of other species. You might say the frontal lobe is the most important area for our various human skills, such as reasoning and language.
- The frontal lobes are
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Living With Someone With Frontal Lobe Damage
Ambiguous loss refers to a loss that occurs without closure or any of the typical markers that accompany grief. The term was coined by psychologist Pauline Boss who described it as a physical presence but psychological absence such as in cases of dementia or Alzheimers disease. It also frequently accompanies traumatic brain injury, especially with frontal lobe damage.
Because frontal lobe damage often results in personality changes, the people closest to the injured person may feel like they have lost their loved one, when in fact they have just changed. Therefore, living with someone with a frontal lobe brain injury can lead to a complex blend of grief and guilt grief for the loss of the person they once knew, and guilt for feeling that way when that person is still alive.
Ambiguous loss can also affect the person with the injury, especially when they have accepted or adapted to their new way of life.
Unresolved ambiguous grief leads to emotional problems and makes it difficult to move forward with recovery. Resolving the feelings associated with ambiguous loss is an important step that allows both you and your loved ones to finally move forward.
What Are Some Important Structures In The Frontal Lobe
Most neuroscientists divide the frontal lobe into four distinct regions, each containing a number of vital structures. Those include:
- Medial frontal lobe: This region contains the cingulate gyrus, which is a part of the limbic system. It also contains the superior frontal gyrus, which research suggests plays a role in self-awareness.
- Lateral frontal lobe: This region contains the superior frontal gyrus, which aids in self-awareness, as well as the middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus. The inferior frontal gyrus plays a role in language processing.
- Polar region: This region is home to the frontomarginal gyrus, as well as the transverse frontopolar gyri.
- The orbital frontal lobe contains a number of structures, including the anterior orbital gyrus, medial orbital gyrus, posterior orbital gyrus, and gyrus rectus. The orbital gyri is connected to the vagus nerve, an important part of the limbic system that coordinates and controls emotional and automatic reactions.
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What Does The Left Frontal Lobe Of The Brain Do
Collectively , the frontal lobes are the part of the brain that is home to our emotional regulation centre and controls our personality.
Explanation:
The left side of the brain controls movement related to language. It is specifically the key in movement , all language function, decision making and emotional regulation.
The frontal lobe is the same part of the brain that is responsible for executive functions such as planning for the future , judgement and decision making skills , attention span and inhibition,
The anatomy of the brain is well defined , however it’s key to understand to shut down all but the left frontal lobe is not possible. It’s important to understand the complexity of the brain and the fact that all associated neuronal structures work in conjunction.
Understanding The Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is the largest of the four lobes and sits behind your nasal cavity, extending behind your ears. The lobe has many different parts that control functions in your body, including:
- Body movements on the opposite side of your body
- Eye movements on the opposite side of your body
- Smooth motor movementsâ
- Motor language
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When Should I See A Doctor Or Healthcare Provider
Brain lesions can indicate you have a severe or even life-threatening issue. For example, a stroke is a time-sensitive medical emergency. If you think someone with you is having a stroke, call 911 or your local emergency services number.
Other symptoms of brain lesions that mean you need medical attention quickly include:
- Sudden, severe headache, especially those that get worse over time or that dont respond to over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Unexplained vision changes, such as double vision or blurring, flashing lights or spots, distortions, haze or black spots in your vision.
- Seizures that last more than five minutes, or that happen back-to-back without enough time to recover between them.
- Any loss of consciousness following an impact to your head or body, as well as nausea or headache immediately after such an impact.
- Altered consciousness or behavior, such as a person suddenly acting very differently than they usually do.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Brain lesions can happen for many reasons, making them a very common sign of a brain-related condition. Some lesions are minor and need little or no treatment to heal. Others are more severe and may need medical care, such as surgery. Unfortunately, some lesions are severe, permanent or happen for reasons that arent treatable.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/16/2022.
References
What Does The Left Temporal Lobe Do And Why Is It Important

The left temporal lobe plays an important role in language and memory processing. But where is it located and how does it work? Heres what you need to know.
Our brain is like a complex machine, made of many numerous parts. Each part plays a role in the maintenance of our emotions, reactions, decisions, and actions.
One of the most important parts of the brain is the left temporal lobe.
Here, you will find out all about the functions of the left temporal lobe and how to identify symptoms of damage in this part of the brain.
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Bumps And Grooves Of The Brain
In humans, the lobes of the brain are divided by a number of bumps and grooves. These are known as gyri and sulci . The folding of the brain, and the resulting gyri and sulci, increases its surface area and enables more cerebral cortex matter to fit inside the skull.
Image: DJ / CC BY-SA 2.0 Albert Kok / Public Domain
Causes Of Stroke In The Frontal Lobe
There are two types of stroke that can affect the frontal lobe .
First, an ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot becomes clogged in an artery in the brain, depriving this part of the brain of oxygen. Second, in more rare cases, a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when an artery in the brain bursts, causing bleeding in the brain.
Because the frontal lobe accounts for a large portion of the brain, the chances of a frontal lobe stroke are higher than subcortical strokes that occur deep within the brain.
Furthermore, the frontal lobe is divided into two hemispheres where each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body. As a result, motor impairments usually occur on the side of the body opposite to the stroke.
In other words, a right frontal lobe stroke may impair movement on the left side of the body and a left frontal lobe stroke may impair the right side.
Motor impairments arent the only side effect of a frontal lobe stroke, though.
Want 25 pages of stroke recovery exercises in a PDF?
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Subdivisions Within The Dorsal Pathway
As illustrated in Figure 1, on the basis of anatomical connectivity with frontal cortex, the macaques dorsal visual pathway can be subdivided further into dorsaldorsal and ventraldorsal streams . Inputs to dorsal or ventral premotor cortex arise from segregated regions of parietal cortex , and these frontal areas are not highly interconnected. In macaques, the primary visual input to the dd stream is from area V6 along with V6A, parietooccipital , and medial intraparietal area in the superior parietal lobule .
The primary visual input to the vd pathway is from areas MT/MST along with visual areas of the inferior parietal lobule , PG, PFG, and PF). The vd pathway projects to PMv cortex and can be further subdivided: neural tracing studies demonstrate that parietal area AIP projects to F5, while the adjacent ventral intraparietal area projects selectively to F4 . As discussed below, these subdivisions may be involved in constructing representations for grasping objects versus delineating peripersonal space, respectively.
Marjan Nikan, Azadeh Manayi, in, 2019
Brain Damage Aphasias And Agnosias
Damage to the temporal lobe, and the left temporal lobe in particular, can be debilitating. Most often, you see this result in an inability to recall memories or information, but when certain regions of the dominant temporal lobe are damaged, such as Broca or Wernicke’s areas, a certain type of brain damage known as an aphasia or an agnosia can develop. These forms of brain damage result in an inability to process a specific type of information. For example, someone with Broca’s aphasia alone can understand language but will have trouble speaking their sentences will seem garbled, but will still carry meaning. Whereas an agnosia can result in someone being unable to recognize someone’s face, or can lead to them misinterpreting what a given object is. These forms of brain damage can be adapted to and lived with but are one of the many reasons it’s important to protect your head from harm.
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How Does The Brain Work
The brain sends and receives chemical and electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. Some make you feel tired, for example, while others make you feel pain.
Some messages are kept within the brain, while others are relayed through the spine and across the bodys vast network of nerves to distant extremities. To do this, the central nervous system relies on billions of neurons .
Can Frontal Lobe Damage Repair Itself
Many regions of the brain work together to carry out a variety of functions. As a result, many of the effects of frontal lobe damage can be recovered by utilizing neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to reorganize itself based on the behaviors we repetitively perform. As a result, its possible for functions affected by frontal lobe damage to be rewired to unaffected regions of the brain and improved.
The most effective way to promote neuroplasticity is to stimulate the brain through repetitive practice of affected functions. For example, an individual with aphasia may promote neuroplasticity by practicing language-related exercises to help encourage the brain to improve the function of language. The brain likes to be efficient and understands when there is demand for a function and adapts to make that function occur more easily.
Individuals can learn effective ways to stimulate the brain by participating in rehabilitative therapies that target the effects of their specific frontal lobe brain injury. This will allow frontal lobe brain injury survivors to promote neuroplasticity and regain as much function as possible.
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What Happens If You Damage Your Left Temporal Lobe
Since the temporal lobe processes emotions and plays an important role in short-term memory, damage to this area of the brain can result in unique symptoms.
Damage to the left temporal lobe mainly results in abnormal changes to emotions, such as sudden feelings of fear, euphoria, or episodes of deja vu.
The official name for these distressing feelings is focal seizures with impaired awareness. The bigger the seizure, the less responsive a person becomes.
During such an episode, the person may be aware of whats happening around them but may be unable to respond. They may also move their lips and hands repetitively.
These conditions are mostly treated and controlled with medications. In case medications fail to solve this, surgery is an option.
If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends.If broken by an inside force, life begins.Great things always begin from the inside.
Jim Kwik